Wednesday 04 March 2009

Background

On several occasions, various individuals asked Jesus to performmiraculous signs: from Satan (Matthew 4:1-11) tothe religious authorities (Mark 8:11). ButJesus continually denied their requests, knowing they had ulteriormotives.

In this passage, referring to such instances, Jesus talks to thecrowd about someone who had gone before them, and who lived a lifethat was a miraculous sign of its own - the prophet Jonah - who wasswallowed by a great fish, and yet lived to carry out what God hadasked him, albeit begrudgingly (see the book of Jonah).Jonah spent three days buried inside a huge whale and Jesus wouldspend the same length of time buried in the tomb before hisResurrection.

The "Queen of the South" refers to the Queen of Sheba - an Africanqueen who famously recognised the wisdom of the ancient Jewish kingSolomon (1 Kings10:1-13). Jesus argues that if the Queen of Sheba respondedpositively to the wisdom of Solomon, and the population of Ninevehresponded to the preaching of Jonah, how much more should thepeople in Jesus' day respond to the ministry of Jesus, who wasgreater than these wise and revered Old Testament figures.

To Ponder

What does this passage have to teach us aboutLent?

What miraculous signs do you demand from God?

What miracles have already taken place in yourlife? Did you recognise them at the time? What effect did/does ithave on your life?